Louver structure for air conditioning grille



June 23, 1959 G. D. PETRIE 2,891,462 j LOUVER STRUCTURE FOR AIR- commomnccanm Filed July 9, 1957 f 4 BY r mm) 93% 'ATTORIVEY United States Patent LOUVER STRUCTURE FOR AIR CGNDITIONING GRILLE Gordon D. Petrie, Phoenix, Ariz., assignor to Wright Mfg. Company, Phoenix, Ariz., a corporation of Arizona Application July 9, 1957, Serial No. 670,721

4 Claims. (Cl. 98-40) This invention pertains to improvements in louver structures for air conditioning grilles and is particularly directed to an improved structure and arrangement of the louver blades for articulation to control air flow in any desired direction.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved louver structure for an air conditioning grille which is simple in arrangement but rugged and sturdy in construction while at the same time being capable of universal direction of air flow from the discharge grille in which the louver blades are utilized.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved louver structure for air conditioning grille having pairs of parallel louver blades rigidly inter-connected in a structure for rotation about a common axis.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved louver structure for an air conditioning grille in which a series of pairs of integrally connected louver blades may be simultaneously or independently adjusted for directing air flow.

And a further object of this invention is to provide an improved louver structure for air conditioning grille including a series of rockable members comprising pairs of louver blades extending parallel to each other in one plane of air direction and having a series of transverse louver blades mounted between the pairs of parallel blades for directing the air flow in another plane of air movement together with means for affecting independent adjustment of the pairs of series of parallel louver blades and the independent adjustment of the right angularly disposed transverse louver blades between the parallel blades.

Further features and advantages of this invention will appear from a detailed description of the drawings in which:

Fig. his a general perspective view of an evaporative cooler for an air conditioner having a discharge grille incorporating the features of this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the portion of the grill structure particularly showing the louvers incorporating the features of this invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

As an example of one embodiment of this invention there is shown an evaporative cooler or air conditioning unit 10 having a discharge air duct 11 having the dis charge grille carried in a suitable frame 13 fixed to the front end of the discharge air duct 11.

Between the side members 14 and 15, Fig. 2, of the frame 13 in a series of tiltable louver structures comprising the upper blade 16 and the lower blade 17 which are integrally connected together with the trunnion pieces 18 and 19 at their respective ends. Each of the trunnion pieces 18 and 19 have fixed at their central position the trunnions 20 which are appropriately journaled in suitable tearing bores' in the side members 14 and 15 of the frame 13 so that the assembly of the blades '16 and 17 and the trunnion pieces 18 and 19 rock as a Whole about an axis 21. Each of the series of louver blades 16-17 may be connected together by an operating connecting rod 22 pivotally connected at 23 to the outer ends of the lever arms 24 suitably fixed to the trunnion pieces 18, the rod 22 being pivotally connected at 25 with a suitable operating lever 26 pivotally mounted at 27 on the frame member 14 in a customary manner (not shown).

Between the upper and lower blades 16 and 17 respectively are mounted a series of longitudinally spaced transverse air directing blades 28 which, if desired, may be rigidly fixed to the blades 16 and 17 at a fixed angular air discharge position. However, in instances where it is desired to afford adjustable air direction in a plane at right angles to the plane of air control by the members 16 and 17, the transverse blades 28 may be provided with trunnions 29 pivotally mounted in suitable trunnion bores 30 formed in the members 16 and 17 Thus the transverse members may be rocked around the axes 31 located at right angles to the axes 21 so that air may be directed horizontally by the transverse blades 28 and may be directed up and down by the rocking of the louver structure members 1617 by means of the control handle 26 so that any conceivable direction of air discharge may be affected for the grille 12.

While the apparatus herein disclosed and described constitutes a preferred form of the invention, it is also to be understood that the apparatus is capable of mechanical alteration without departing from the spirit of the invention and that such mechanical arrangement and commercial adaptation as fall within the scope of the appendent claims are intended to be included herein.

Having thus fully set forth and described this invention what is claimed and desired to be obtained by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A louver structure forming an air discharge grille comprising a frame, a series of louver units each unit comprising upper and lower spaced parallel louver blades rigidly connected together at their ends, means for pivotally mounting the ends of said connected pairs of spaced louver blades on said frame in vertically spaced position to others of said connected pairs at distances substantially equal to the distance between said pair of connected vertically spaced blades so as to rock about an axis located parallel to said blades, and located intermediate the space therebetween and the edges of said blades, said vertically spaced louver units being positioned on said frame so as to provide free air discharge openings therebetween substantially equal to the air discharge space between the pair of connected blades.

2. A louver structure forming an air discharge grille as set forth in claim 1 further comprising transverse air directing blades mounted in longitudinally disposed, laterally spaced positions between the facing parallel surfaces of said spaced parallel louver blades of each unit.

3. In a louver structure for an air discharge grille comprising a frame, a series of vertically spaced louver units each unit comprising a pair of connected vertically spaced parallel louver blades including trunnion pieces fixed to the ends of said vertically spaced parallel louver blades, trunnions fixed on said trunnion pieces journalled in said frame so that said louver unit rocks about an axis parallel to and located intermediate the edges and facing surfaces of said pair of connected vertically spaced parallel louver blades, said vertically spaced louver units being positioned on said frame so as to provide a free air discharge open- 3 ing therebetween substantially equal to the air discharge space between the pair of connected blades.

4. A louver structure for an air discharge grille as set forth in claim 3 wherein a series of longitudinally disposed transverse air directing blades are mounted in each said louver unit with a pair of opposite edges in abutting engagement with the facing surfaces of said vertically spaced louver blades.

A. I e P.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Walker Nov. 26, 1901 Leigh Oct. 13, 1936 Labus Dec. 16, 1952 Stair Mar. 24, 1953 

